Long before fashion week collaborations and limited-edition celebrity merchandise, Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868) was already fusing fame and fabric in brilliant ways. Kabuki actors, the superstars of their time, captivated audiences not only with their performances but also with their bold stage costumes, sparking real-world fashion trends among a growing urban population.
One striking example can be found in a woodblock print held at the Victoria and Albert Museum titled New Designs at Yamatoya [Yamatoya shiire shingata]. Created between 1832 and 1840 by artists Utagawa Kunisada, the image showcases six bold kimono patterns inspired by the kabuki star Bandō Mitsugorō V.
The print is more than a stylish illustration; it’s a piece of early commercial theatre. In Edo Japan, kabuki actors were the celebrities of their time, and their on-stage looks sparked real-world fashion trends. Kimono shops quickly caught on, producing summer robes and accessories featuring motifs and crests associated with these actors. The actors gained publicity; the shops sold more kimono. Everyone won, especially the fans, who could now wear their admiration quite literally on their sleeves.
In this print, six distinct patterns are displayed like a designer’s lookbook: bold geometrics, stylised florals, crest-like emblems, and flowing linework, each one likely tied to the on-stage persona or costume of Mitsugorō. They reflect not only the aesthetics of the kabuki stage but also the everyday aspirations of Edo’s urban population, who were hungry for novelty, status, and connection through fashion.
Pattern Spotlight: The Kamawanu Crest
One of the most iconic actor-associated patterns of the Edo period is the kamawanu (鎌わぬ) motif. The motif is a combination of a sickle (kama, 鎌), the phonetic character wa (わ), and the ideogram for “not” (nu, ぬ). Together, they form a visual pun meaning “I don’t care” or “No problem.” Though that might sound flippant, it was exactly the kind of cheeky, cool-headed phrase that resonated with kabuki audiences.
This pattern was famously used by the seventh-generation kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō and became a massive trend among his fans. It expressed the bold, carefree spirit of the kyōkaku (侠客), an outlaw heroes who walked the line between criminal and romantic rebel. Wearing the pattern was a way for townspeople to channel that rebellious charisma in their daily life.
A stunning example can be seen in a print of Ichikawa Kodanji IV held by the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo. His costume features the kamawanu motif prominently, and the museum notes that this hanjimono (visual riddle) expressed the daring spirit of kabuki and Edo-period masculinity.
Unlike formal family crests, kamawanu was theatre-born branding; a witty, wearable declaration of cool. Much like a modern slogan tee, it carried both meaning and affiliation, all in a stylized three-part image. Seen in prints and on actual garments, the pattern tells us just how sophisticated and layered Edo-period “merch” could be.
What may look like elegant patterning or theatrical flair was, in fact, an early form of visual branding layered with puns, affiliations, and coded messages. The kamawanu crest and actor-inspired kimono patterns remind us that the lines between stage and street, art and commerce, have long been blurred. Edo-period fans weren’t just watching kabuki; they were participating in it. In this light, the floating world wasn’t so far from our own: stylish, expressive, and deeply shaped by the culture of celebrity.
DR CAROLIN BECKE 